Dayid w



(No Model.)

D. W. GOPELAND,

AXLB BEARING.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

DAVID W. ooPELANnfoF. sYRAcUsE, NEW Vonk, AJssIGNoR To J. MILFORD ANDREWS, or SAME-PLACE.

-AXLEBEAR|NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,298', dated March 3, 1891.

Application led May 31, 1890. Serial No. 353.804. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID W. COPELAND,

of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in

duced; and to this end the invention con.

sists, essentially, in a sleeve surrounding the axle, two or more rollers on the outside of said sleeve, fric-tional faces or engaging-teeth provided on said sleeve for engaging the rollzo ers and rotating the same, an outer sleeve or annular support for said rollers, and a yielding connection to the car.

The invention furthermore consists in a tooth or teeth for locking said sleeve to the axle, and in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In describing this invention reference is 3o had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is an elevation of a wheel, a detached portion of an axle, my improved axle- 3 5 bearing, and a detached portion of a car-sill.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the parts shown' in Fig. 1, taken atright angles to the plane of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved axle-bearing and a detached 4o portion of the axle or journal. Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line :r m, Fig. 3. Fig.

. 5 is a like sectional View taken on line y y,

Fig.

of the axle or journal. Fig. 7 is an elevation Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View hicle in connection with which the same is to be used.

B represents the sill or other suitable support of any desirable construction of car, and interposed between said sill B and axle A is my improved axle-bearing C, which is preferably guided in a suitable bracket D and yieldingly supported on suitable springs E.

My improved'axle-bearing preferably consists of a sleeve F, surrounding the axle, roll- 6o ers G on the outside of said sleeve, and an outer sleeve or annular support H for the rollers G. The sleeve F preferably bears or rests upon the portion A of the axle or journal A, which is of less diameter than the remaining portion, being so formed by an annular groove A2, having side walls o a.

In order to enable the sleeve to be readily placed in operative position, the inside diameter of the same is preferably a trifle greater 7o than the diameter of the journal A; and as its inside diameteris greater than that of the portion A of the axle, it will be noted that when operatively mounted, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the greater part of the adjacent faces of said portion A of the journal A and the sleeve F are out of contact with each other, thereby reducing the friction to a minimum. As .preferably constructed the sleeve F is rotated by the rotation of the axle A, and this 8o result is effected by means of one or more teeth a formed upon the adjacent face of either the side walls a of the annular groove A2 or the sleeve F. These teeth are shown as three in number, and as formed upon the side walls of the groove .A2, and are adapted to engage recesses@2 on the opposite edges of the sleeve, which recesses are preferably of greater number than said teeth. It will thus be understood that as the axle is rotated by 9o the movement of the wheel A3 secured thereto the sleeve F locked to said axle is also rotated, and that before two of the teeth of the axle are out of engagement with the' sleeve another one is moved into engagement;

The rollers G on the outside of the sleeve F are preferably of less diameter than said sleeve, and in order to prevent friction their adjacent peripheries are held apart by an annular ring or connection g2, having formed Ioo thereupon or secured thereto pins or spindles (not shown) which enterjournatopenings j in the rollers G.

As illustrated, and as preferably constructed, the outer sleeve or annular support II for the rollers G is provided with side walls II' and H2 suitably secured thereto, as by bolts 7L passing through lugs h.

Instead of the ring g, the rollers G might be formed with annular collars of small width adapted to turn against each other.

In order to compel the rollers G to travel with the sleeve F, I provide said sleeve with a frictionally-engaging face or faces g adapted to engage said rollers. These faces g preferably consist of gear-teeth formed in the opposite extremities of the sleeve and adapted to engage gear-teeth f, formed upon or secured to said rollers.

The sleeve I-I is provided with recesses or grooves 71,3 for receiving the teeth f, and with the projecting bearing-face h4, which forms a support for the rollers in their rotation. It will thus bc understood upon reference tothe foregoing description that as the sleeve F rotates the rollers G also rotate and reduce to a minimum the friction resultant from the rotation of said sleeve, thereby enabling the axle A to be revolved with a minimum amount of power.

It will be readily understood that the greatest amount of strain upon the sleeve H is applied at its upper part, especially when the rollers G become slightly worn, and in order to provide for this wear I form the said sleeve with a recess H2, in which is mounted a removable bushing h5, preferably cut slanting at its extremities, as shown in Fig. S, in order to reduce to a minimum the wear upon the rollers G.

Formed upon the outer sleeve or support II are suitable guides I, which are movable on the bracket D, secured to the sill B for supporting said sleeve. Also formed upon the sleeve H are suitable bearings e, between which and the sill B are interposed springs E for yieldingly supporting the outer support II and enabling my improved axle-bearing to adjust itself to any inequalities in the road or other causes which would jar the ear to which it is secured.

Provided upon the outer wall Il of the sleeve is a flange 7L, against which rests a suitable nut or washer for preventing the inlet of dust, mud, ttc., and the friction which would result from such entrance.

rlhe operation of my invention will be readily perceived from the foregoing, and it will be understood that the amount of bearing of the axle is reduced to a minimum by the sleeve F, and that the friction generated by the rotation of said sleeve is reduced to a minimum by the rollers G. It will also be understood that, owing to the connection of the sleeve F to the axle and to the rollers, whereby said parts are rotated together, all

of these parts lnove simultaneously, and there is absolutely no liability of one rotating more slowly than the other, or indeed not rotating at all, as would be the ease if said parts were not locked together. Moreover, by thus'locking said parts together substantially all wear thereupon is obviated, since as long as the rollers are compelled to turn or roll their wear is imperceptible, but should one or more of them be free to stop its rotation, or, in other Words, should it not be positively driven, the said roller or rollers would soon become worn and the device rendered useless. It is ob* vious, however, that, if desired, the sleeve might be loose upon the shaft and the rollers G frictionally engage the said loose sleeve; or, 0n the other hand, that the rollers G might loosely rotate without frictional engagement and the sleeve be locked to the gear. It will also be understood that considerable change may be made in the relative construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, as in the means for locking the sleeve to the axle and the rollers.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isW

1. The herein-described axlebearing, the same consisting of a movable sleeve encircling the axle and formed with a central opening of greater diameter than said axle, an annular groove on the axle for receiving said sleeve, a tooth for locking the sleeve to the axle, and a bearing upon which said sleeve rolls, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described axle-bearing, the same consisting of a sleeve encircling the axle and having engaging-teeth, two or more rollers on the outside of said sleeve having teeth for engaging the teeth of the sleeve, and a support for said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The herein-described axle-bearing, the

IOO

IIO

same consisting of a sleeve encircling the axle and formed with a central opening of greater diameter than said axle, an annular groove on the axle for receiving said sleeve, an engaging-tooth for locking the sleeve to the axle, two or more rollers on the outside of said sleeve, and a support for said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein-described axle-bearing, the same consistin g of a sleeve encircling the axle, engaging-teeth on the said sleeve for locking the same to the axle, a second series of teeth on said sleeve, two or more rollers on the outside of said sleeve, teeth on said rollers for engaging the second series of teeth 011 the sleeve, and a support for said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The herein-described axle-bearing, the same consisting of a sleeve encircling the axle and having engaging-teeth, two or more rollers on the outside of said sleeve having teeth for engaging the sleeve, a support in which said rollers are journaled, and an outer sleeve having a bearing for said rollers, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

6. The herein-described axle-bearing, the saine consisting of asleeve encircling the axle, engaging-teeth on said sleeve for locking the same to the axle, two or more rollers on the outside of said sleeve, engaging teeth on said rollers for engaging the sleeve, an outer sleeve having a bearing for said rollers, and yielding supports for said outer sleeve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The herein-described axle-bearing, the saine consisting of a movable sleeve encircling` the axle. a recess, at the opposite extremities of said sleeve for engaging the axle, and two or more rollers for supporting said sleeve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

S. The herein-described axle-bearing, the same consisting of a movable sleeve encircling the axle, a recess at the opposite extremities of said sleeve for engaging the axle, and two or more rollers for supporting said sleeve, said rollers bein g of less diameter than said sleeve, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. The herein-described axle-bearing, the saine consisting of a movable sleeve, encircling the axle, a recess at the opposite extremities of said sleeve for engaging the axle, two or more rollers for supporting said sleeve, and teeth at the opposite extremities of said rollers for engaging the opposite extremities of said sleeve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In combination, an axle having an annular groove, a movable sleeve surrounding said axle and formed with a central opening of greater diameter than said axle, -an annular groove on the axle for receiving said sleeve, a tooth for locking said sleeve to the side wall of said groove, and a bearing upon which said sleeve rolls, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. In combination, an axle having an annular groove, a movable sleeve surrounding said axle, a tooth for locking said sleeve to the side wall of said groove, rollers on the outside of said sleeve, and a support for said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In combination, an axle having an annular groove, a movable sleeve surrounding said axle, a tooth for locking said sleeve to the side wall of said groove, rollers on the outside of said sleeve, an outer sleeve having asupport for said rollers, and a yielding support for said outer sleeve, substantially as and for the purpose specified. r

13. The herein-described axle-bearing, the

'same consisting of a sleeve around the axle,

two or more rollers on the outside of said sleeve, an outer support for said rollers, and a bushing removably inserted between said support and rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 29th day of May, 1890.

DAVID XV. COPELAND.

Witnesses:

CLARK H. NORTON, M. BAXTER. 

